March 27, 2017
Pastelist Liz Kenyon will be found here at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops from June 18-24 teaching her workshop, Loose and Vibrant Soft Pastel Painting. As we look forward to the fairer temperatures and greener landscape that awaits Upstate New York that month, Liz was kind enough to tell us a little bit more about her approach to art with our annual instructor interview series.
Q: What do you want your work to do?
LK: Everything! I want my work to result in award winning student art! I want my soft pastel paintings to be loose and vibrant with luminous colors, for the surface texture to be remarkable, for it’s creation to be ‘hands on,’ to layer the soft dry pigment with my fingers so directly that a viewer can hear my work breathing, for my work to be demanding and fund, and for my work with pastels to make my job as a teacher easy.
Q: How has your style changed over the years?
LK: The adage ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ can apply to be because I’ve unfolded new fun methods of expressing and teaching color. I have developed a lighter touch; less pastel dust is falling onto my easel. My process of applying color has also advanced; instead of layering or glazing with a single stick, I paint with two or three pastels in order to create more transparency and pulsing passages. With curiosity as my guide, I’ve been exploring alternative subject matter like ‘silly selfies’ and eggshell set ups.
Q: How do you come up with a profitable pricing structure for your pieces?
LK: In this economy, I am happy to sell and support myself. In pricing my work I consider a list of things;
- artist’s fee, myself
- professional framing under non-reflective glass
- studio maintenance, materials and supplies, commissions, shipping, and advertising
- size of the piece
- the buyer, is it a new customer, a repeat customer, one of my students, or a family member
Q: Do you have a motto?
LK: “Believe in myself and relax.” I use my motto whenever I see outstanding paintings in galleries or websites; I pause and ask myself if the artwork speaks to me and why. I use my motto when I’m deciding whether to enter a juried show or taking a workshop, to avoid questioning my own abilities and to avoid comparing my work to other artists, whenever I need to relax, to remind me there’s a buyer for my art, to remember that taking a workshop can be super fun and inspirational. My motto also changes to fit the circumstances.
Q: Are you involved in any upcoming shows or events? Where and when?
LK: I just completed teaching a four week class at the Scottsdale Artist School in Scottsdale, AZ. I am exhibiting at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum from February 18-April 18 – this is a juried show and I was awarded the second place prize. I am also exhibiting in a National Juried Show in Sedona, AZ from April 18-29, sponsored by the Arizona Pastel Artist Association.